KS 3-4: Visit www.georgetown.edufacultyballc animalsanimals.html for bird and animal sounds in more than 20 languages. Some resemble the English version, others are significantly different (for example, rooster and owl).
KS 3: Cite the example of birds in a lesson on learning strategies. Listen, mimic, check against the original, try again - practice makes perfect. What better role model could there be?
KS 4: Present brief profiles of well known birds to develop the language of description. Alternatively, students could devise riddles along the lines: I am brown, have round eyes, come out at night, eat mice, birds and insects, say “tu-whit, tu-whoo”. Who am I?
KS 5: Ask students to research endangered species on the internet and present their findings to the class. Give them a structure to provide focus. What is the bird’s natural habitat? Why is this disappearing? Does it matter? What should be done?
Alison Thomas
* There will be a free primary poster on British birds with next week’s TES Teacher
